For most people considering laser surgery for vision correction, the main concerns are how long LASIK surgery lasts and whether LASIK treatment is a permanent solution. The answer is more complicated than a simple yes or no. Even though LASIK provides improved vision and significantly reduces the reliance on contact lenses or eyeglasses, certain factors influence the longevity of the procedure. Your body’s natural aging process, lifestyle, and regression will determine how long-lasting your LASIK results will be. So if “Will I go back to glasses after LASIK?” and “Is LASIK treatment permanent?” are the questions keeping you up at night before surgery, read our blog to make the right decision for your permanent vision correction.
What is LASIK Surgery?
LASIK (Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) is an outpatient laser surgery that offers hope to those struggling with refractive errors. It can cure various vision defects, including nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, offering a brighter future with improved vision.
Myopia(Nearsightedness)
LASIK surgery can cure myopia, a condition in which the eye can view objects closer to them but has blurred vision for objects farther away.
Hyperopia (Farsightedness)
You can also opt for the LASIK procedure if you suffer from hyperopia, a vision problem in which you can have clear vision for distant objects, but closer things appear blurry.
Astigmatism
LASIK can help treat astigmatism, a divergence from the spherical curvature of your eye’s cornea or lens.
How Does LASIK Surgery Work?
Laser vision correction is a precise and effective procedure that permanently reshapes the eye’s corneal tissue using the laser or blades to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and other refractive errors. The meticulous creation of a flap in the upper cornea by the ophthalmologist ensures a sharp and clear focus, enhancing your ability to see both close and distant objects.
How Long Does LASIK last?
LASIK eye surgery is a permanent procedure that helps patients achieve stable vision and focus. It involves surgical modification and cutting of approximately 20% of the top layer of the cornea, making the treatment permanent. The results last a lifetime. However, factors like the natural aging process of your eye muscles, presbyopia, regression, and lifestyle will affect the longevity of your laser vision correction.
Natural Aging Process
The intensity of your refractive error (commonly called prescription) changes with age. If you are under 18 or 21, your eye may change, and your prescription may not be stable. That is why some clinics have a minimum age limit for LASIK surgical procedures: 18 or 21.
Age may also worsen your improved vision because your eye develops certain eye disorders as you age. Conditions like glaucoma, eye strain, AMD (age-related macular degeneration), cataracts, and other diseases might cause blurry vision and focus deterioration. Though highly effective and long-lasting, the LASIK procedure is usually inconsequential for age-related changes.
Presbyopia
If you are in your mid-40s and use corrective lenses or reading glasses, your doctor may recommend a different surgical treatment for vision enhancement and correction than LASIK. This recommendation is because, for most patients in their 40s, the ability to near-focus starts to deteriorate due to a condition called ‘presbyopia’. This age-related change in your eye’s ability to focus on near objects can affect the longevity of your LASIK results.
LASIK treatment can not do much to change the inevitable results of aging, and therefore, surgeons usually avoid this procedure in patients above 40. If you have undergone the laser treatment, and it has lasted you good long years, you might now need enhancement surgery if you are about to reach your mid-40s. How long LASIK lasts after 40 may depend on your general eye health, lifestyle, and genes.
Regression of Prescription
Is LASIK treatment permanent? Yes and no. Surgically cut tissues to reshape your cornea have been removed permanently, but the prescription? Not so permanent! Your prescription (refractive error) can slowly disappear even after a successful LASIK permanent surgery. This phenomenon is known as ‘regression’. There is no complete explanation for why this happens. Still, a general hypothesis is that in most patients facing regression, the natural healing process of the cornea after laser eye surgery makes it revert to shortsightedness or longsightedness.
LASIK Enhancement Surgery
After your initial surgery, LASIK enhancement surgery works as a touch-up procedure to enhance your improved vision or cater to any changes in your eye after the initial procedure. This enhancement surgery is a follow-up procedure that may be recommended if your vision changes over time, such as due to age-related factors or regression. Most patients above 40 may never need an enhancement, but the LASIK enhancement can work well over time for those experiencing regression or vision changes related to aging. Overall, around 2% of total LASIK patients need to undergo an enhancement procedure.
Are LASIK Results Good for Lifetime?
After your initial surgery, LASIK enhancement surgery works as a touch-up procedure to enhance your improved vision or cater to any changes in your eye after the initial procedure. Most patients above 40 may never need an enhancement, but the LASIK enhancement can work well over time for those experiencing regression or vision changes related to aging. Overall, around 2% of total LASIK patients need to undergo an enhancement procedure.
Is LASIK Vision Correction Surgery Painful?
LASIK is an outpatient surgical procedure that usually requires 5-10 minutes per eye. The blade-free LASIK procedure is not painful at all. Your doctor puts you under local anesthesia (different from the general anesthesia given during major surgeries) to numb your eye muscles. While the LASIK patient is fully awake during the surgery, they don’t feel much when under the effect of the numbing drops.
Conclusion
While LASIK surgery is a great way to eliminate eyeglasses, reverse focus-related errors, and achieve excellent vision, it’s crucial to be well-informed. If you’re still unsure whether LASIK is the right choice for you, book a consultation with our expert doctors. This will empower you to discuss your condition and get recommendations from top eye specialists, making an informed decision for your vision.
Bagan Strinden Vision: Best LASIK Procedures in North Dakota
If you’re considering LASIK and unsure if it’s your best long-term option, the professionals at Bagan Strinden Vision can help. With over 25 years of experience, skilled surgeons, and a dedication to personalized treatment, we have helped over 15,000 people with LASIK and over 30,000 with cataract surgeries.
Schedule an appointment for professional advice for LASIK, glaucoma treatment, and cataract surgery. To begin your journey towards a better, sharper vision, visit or call Bagan Strinden Vision at (701) 293-8242 and book your appointment now!
